Folding pocket-hatchet.



H. MQNALLY. FOLDING POCKET HATGHET. APPLICATION TIL-ED NOV. 4, 1908.

3 new to:

Patented Dec. 7, 19%.

' HUGH MQNAL'LY, OF HIGHLAND CEI QTER, WISCONSIN.

FOLDING P QKET HATCHET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. '2, 1909.

Application filed November 4, 1908. Serial No. 461,068.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, lli'on MCNALLY, a eitizen'of 'the lnited States, residing at Ilichland Center. in the. county of Richland and State of \Visconsin, have invented a new and useful Folding Pocket-Hatchet, of which the following is a specification It is the primary object. -of the-present invention to provide a tool such as a hatchet or ax having a foldable handle so constructed and arranged as to protect and cover the edge of the blade of the tool when the handle is folded.

()ne of the novel features of the invention resides in the means employed for holding the handle sect-ions ri 'idlv in unfolded )osition so that the tool may be manipulated as readily as if the handle were integral throughout. v

Another .novel feature of the invention resides in the means emp oyed for locking the handle sections in folded position so that when the tool is carried in the pocket, there will be no likelihood of the sections moving to unfolded position and thereby exposing the cutting edge of theblade of the tool.

A still further feature of the invention resides in the novel manner of securing the handle to the blade of the tool.

Other novel features and objects will be made apparent in the specific description which is to follow.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing the tool in unfolded position or in other words in position for use, Fig. 2 is a vertical. longitudinal sectional View in detail through the intermediate portion of the handle of the. tool showing the handle sections in unfolded position. F ig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the tool folded. Fig. i is a view similar to Fig. 2. with the handle section in folded position, Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, showing the means provided for locking the handle sections in folded position, and. Fig. (5 is a view similar to Fig. 5 on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

As shown in the drawings, the tool embodying my invention is comprised, broadlyspeaking, of a blade indicated in general by the reference character A and a handle indicatedin general by the reference character B. The handle B is made, up of a air of sections one of which is indicated y the numeral 10 and the otherhythe numeral 11,

and both of these sections are of channel formation or more specifically speaking, are U-shaped in cross section. Thesection 10 is provided at one end of each of its walls with a pivot car 12, and the other section, 11, is received at the corespbnding end between these ears and is held pivotally in this relation by means of a pivot pin 13, itbeing understood that the handle sections 10 and 11 are. in this manner connected so thatthey may be folded one upon the other.

As clearly shown in Fig. (3 of the ,drawings, the blade A of the tool, which blade may be in the form of a hatchet is provided in each of its side faces with a seat ll, and the section 10, of the handle of the tool has the bottom of its channel omitted for a short distance extending inwardly from the end opposite the pivoted end there- .of so as to form spaced members or furcations 15 which are received in the seats l l, straddling the rear edge of the blade, and are secured in this position with their (inter faces flush with the said side faces of the blade. by means of a stud bolt or other pivotal fastening means 16, itbeing understood that by counter-sinking the face portions 15 in the blade as above described, the securing bolt 16 is relieved almost entirely of strain when the tool is in use.

As shown in the drawings, the handle end of the section 11 of the handle pf the tool has the-'walls of its channel spaced apart a disstance greater than the remainder of the length of its walls, and the outer surface of this portion of each 'channel wall is roughened as at 17 to afford a: gripping surface. This portion of the section 11 of the handle ofthe tool is preferably of a length equal to the length of the cutting edge of the blade, and as will be readily understood from an inspection of the drawings, when the said section is swung to folded position, the cutting edge of the blade will be received therein. Itwill thus be understood that when the handle sections are folded, the cutting edge of the blade will not only-beprotected, but it will be prevented against in uring the material of a pocket in which it is being carried. In order to obviate dulling of the blade due to contact of the bottom of the channel of the section 11 with. the cutting edge thereof, I provide in this portion of the channel of the said section a bed 18 of lead or other soft metal.

As a means for holding the sections rigidly or ax head,

in unfolded position, I provide a latch upon one of the members and a stop upon the other -member of the handle, and the stop just mentioned is in the form of apin 19, which is secured at its ends in the walls of the channel of the member 10, extending transversely of the said channel, and.has its side which is presented in the direction of the pivot 13 for the handle sections, flattened as indicated by the numeral 20. The latch member for ,engagin the stop is indicated in general by the re erence numeral 21 and is preferably of channel formation and, as in the case of the handle sections, U-shaped in cross section. This member is pivoted at one end between the walls of the channel of the member 11 of-the handle by means of a pivot pin 22 and, when the handle sections are in unfolded position, extends with the handle section 11 upon the section 10.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, when thehandle section 11 is folded upon the section 10, the latch member 21 rides overthe said stop pin 19 and between the same and the bottom ofthe channel of the member 10 of the handle.- A wire spring 2% is coiled intermediate its ends as at 25 around the ivot pin 13' for the handle sections 10 and 11, and this spring bears with one of its arms against the bottom of the channel of the. section 10 and with its other arm against the bottom of the channel of the latch member 21, the function of this spring being to hold the latch member at times in engagement with the stop pin either at the bottom of its channel or, as shown in Figs. 3 and 1- of the drawings, or at its free end as shown in F 1 and 2 of'the drawings. .Itwill be understood in connection with the foregoing description, that not only. .does the spring 2-1 serve to hold the latch member. 21 at all times in engagement with the stop pin 19, but that when the sections are completely unfolded, the said latch member will be forced by the spring to drop withits free end inengagcment with the said stop pin. In order to fold the sections after they have been unfolded,v

it is of course necessary to press inwardly against the latch member 21 and in order that this'm'ay be readily. accomplished, I notch the'edgeso 'f .-the walls ofthc channel of the section 10 of the handle as indicated by the numeral 26 andlrmighcn the correin each wall of the channel of the section 10 of the handle an indentation 28 and when the sections are moved to folded position, the threaded end of the pivot pin 22 for the latch member 21 of the tool will snap into these indentations and perform the function stated.

From the foregoing description of my invention, it will be seen that I provide a tool of the class described which issimple in construction and extremely durable and cheap to manufacture, and it will be noted that the means employed for holding the handle sections ofthe tool rigidly in unfolded position, is very substantial and that accidental folding up of the sections, which would likely result in injury, is entirely obviated by the means shown and described.

hat is claimed is 1. In a tool, a handle com )rised of foldable sections, a blade carried y one section, a transverse pin upon one section, and a latch pivoted to the other section and formed to engage with the pin when the sections are in unfolded osition to hold the said sections in said pos1tion,'and to ride over the said pin when the sections are folded.

2. In a tool, a handle com rised of foldable sections, a blade carried y one sect-ion, a transverse pin carried upon one section and having a flattened surface, and a latch pivoted to the other section and provided with an inclined end adapted to engage with the flattened surface of the pin to hold the sections in unfolded position.

3. In a tool, a handle comprised of foldable sections, a blade carried by one section, a transverse pin carried by the other section and provided with a flattened surface, and a latch pivoted to the other section and provided with angularly cut ends engageablc with the flattened surface of the pin to hold the sections in unfolded position,

the said latch being adapted to ride over the said pin upon folding of the sections.

4. In a tool, a handle'comprised of fold able sections, a blade carried by one section, the said sections being of channel formation, a flattened pin extending transversely of the channel of one member, and a latch pivoted between the sides of the channel of the other member and working'in the channel of the first mentioned member above the pin, the saidlatch being. arranged to engage at its end with the flattened side of the pin when the sections are in unfolded position.

5. In a tool, a handle comprised of foldable seclioi'is, a blade carried by one section, the said sections being of channel formation, a pin extending transversely of the channel of one section, and'a channeled latch member pivoted in the channel of the other section and extending into the channel of the first mentioned ction and riding over the pin, the said latch member being arable sections, a blade carried by one of the I sections, a stop carried by one of the sections,

a pivoted latch member carried by the other section. and arranged to ride over the said stop and to engage at its end with the stop when the sections are in unfolded position, and a spring engaged with said latch 111811 bcr for holding the same at all times in enga ement with the stop.

1. In a tool, a handle comprised of foldable sections, a blade carried by one of the sections, the said sections being of channel formation, a stop extending transversely of one of the sections. a latch member pivoted in the channel of the other section and exlending in the channel of the first mentioned section resting in engagement with the stop, said latch metnber being arranged to engage at its end with the stop when the sections .atc in unfolded position, and a. spring engaging the latch member and holding the vsame at all tlIlltS in engagement with the stop.

- into the channel of the first mentioned sec- H. In a tool. a handlecomprising foldable sections. a blade carried by one of the sections, said sections being of channel formation. a channeled latch member pivoted in the channel of one ot the sections, a stop extending transversely of the channel-of the other 'section. said latch member projet-tin; at its ree end .into the channel of the last mentioned section and resting in cngagena-nt with the. stop, and a spring seating in the channel of the second mentinned member and in the channel of the latch member for holding the said latch member at all times in engagement with the said step.

9. in a tool, a handle comprised of toldablc sections, a blade carried by one of thescetions, 'thesaid handle sections being of channel formation, a stop extending transversely ot' the channel ol" one of the sections, a channeled latch memlmepivoted in the channel of the other section and extending tion and resting in engagement with the said step, and a spring having diverging arms and secured fixedly at the junction 01% its arms, one arm bearing in the channel of the first mentioned member and the other arm hearing in the channel of the latch member.

l0. In a tool, a handle comprised of foldable sections, a blade carried by one of the, sections, a pivotv pin connecting the sections, a stop carried by one of the sections, a latch pivoted to the other section and resting. in engagement with the stop, and a spring fixedly connected with the pivot pin and including diverging arms engaging with the first mentioned member and with the latch to hold itin constant engagement with the tool, a handle comprised of fold able see one, a blade carried'by one of the sections stop carried by one of the sections, it t'chniember pivoted to the other section engageable with the stop to hold th 'one in unfolded position, the

said latch member being adapted to ride over the step when the sections are folded, the wallet the channel of the first mentioned sectionf'being provided with an indentation, and the said pivot for the latch member. beingadaptcd to seat in said indentation when the sections are in folded position. I l

12. In a tool, a handle comprised of foldable sections". a blade carried )y one section, said sect-ions being of channel formation, a stop extending transversely of the channel of one section, a latch member pivoted to the channel of the other section and extending 'into the. channel of the first mentioned section and regsting in engagement with the stop, and :asprinq pressing against the said latch mem, er to mid it in such en agement with th "(ipQ-the edges of the walls of the channelof the first mentioned member being notch-t dbit a point coincident with the :free end the latch member so that the my own, have hereto ailixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' HUGH MoN ALLY Witnesses:

H. A.- GiLLmenAnr, Howe-nu TIUFFMAN. 

